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Mayors to issue ‘shelter at home’ orders

UPDATE: Gov. Bill Lee issued an executive order April 24 that allows dine-in restaurants and some retail stores to resume operations in Clarksville and Montgomery County.

The governor’s action preempts local orders issued previously issued by City Mayor Joe Pitts and County Mayor Jim Durrett and cancels a local reopening plan and business permit process that was announced April 23.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett and Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts will direct citizens to shelter at home except when engaging in essential activities or services, practice social distancing and behave as if other people are infectious.

The direct orders are part of a new round of coordinated local actions to be taken Tuesday to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The orders are planned to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Essential activities and services are defined in the orders mainly as healthcare, public safety, utilities, government, communications and media, food production and distribution, vehicle fuel and support, and banking.

Under the orders, all gatherings are strongly discouraged, and those with more than 10 people are strictly prohibited. Gatherings include any event unrelated to essential services that brings together groups of people, such as church services and sporting events.

A long list of businesses are ordered closed, including hospitality, educational and entertainment venues. Personal appearance businesses, including hair, nail, massage, tattoo, tanning and waxing shops are directed to close.

Online activities and deliveries through these businesses may continue. And previous mandates about restaurants restricting food sales to drive-through and take out operations will remain in place.

Mayor Durrett will issue his order Tuesday, and Mayor Pitts will issue his after it is approved by the City Council Tuesday afternoon. The orders remain in effect until April 8, 2020, at which time the orders can be extended in seven day increments.

As in earlier rounds of coordinated orders during the COVID-19 emergency, Mayors Durrett and Pitts incorporated all of the provisions of Gov. Bill Lee’s executive orders. In this case, however, the local executives chose the wording “citizens are directed to shelter at home,” adding intensity to Lee’s phrase “all persons in Tennessee are urged to stay at home.”